


I’ll Keep You Safe

by East02End



Category: EastEnders
Genre: M/M, PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:40:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23131831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/East02End/pseuds/East02End
Summary: Here’s the thing, I’m a dick and accidentally deleted some of my fics from my dashboard thingy, so I’m just posting this one again, I’m not bothering posting some of the others cos they were terrible anyway! I’ve lost all the kudos, comments and hits which annoyed the heck out of me, but I guess that’s karma for being stupid.So if you get déjavu and think you’ve read it before, you probably have!If it’s new to you, you can still give me your views!I wrote this around bonfire night, hence the fireworks, so my timeline is incorrect too, but wanted to posted it anyway.And EE STILL hasn’t explored Callum’s PTSD yet, so here is this.Long story short, I am a dick and feel free to judge me... 😬
Relationships: Ben Mitchell/Stuart Highway, Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell, Callum “Halfway” Highway/Stuart Highway
Comments: 2
Kudos: 41





	I’ll Keep You Safe

  


Ben was sat on his sofa watching some random documentary he’d found on his own. He was bored. Callum had texted earlier to ask if they wanted to go out together somewhere. He’d only just replied and asked where he’d want to go, but he hadn’t replied. Maybe he’d left it too late. He never cared where they went, as long as he was with Callum. They could be at some trashy nightclub or a really posh restaurant for all he cared. He just liked being wherever Callum was. 

He could hear a few distant fireworks going off outside. They’d obviously waited until the weekend after bonfire night to do them. 

He’d even asked Lexi, if she wanted to let off some fireworks. She scolded him by giving him a lecture about the dogs and cats that get too frightened of them. 

He exact words were: “Daaadd, do you want to be responsible for the death of poor innocent animals, because you gave them a heart attack and they died?” He couldn’t really argue with that. 

This is when Callum suggested having sparklers instead. 

“Sparklers never killed anyone right?”, to which Lexi squealed and launched herself at Callum and nearly suffocated him to death. He was glad that Lexi accepted Callum. She loved him so much in the short amount of time that she had known him. 

As Ben smiles to himself thinking about his two favourite people, he jumped as his familiar ring tone called. 

His smile widened further, when he read Callum’s name on the screen. 

“Hey, I was wondering when you’d reply, I’ve got a great place in mind we could go tomorrow if you want.”

“Ben? Ben! Oh thank god you picked up Ben.”

Ben immediately became worried. Instead of Callum’s warm voice, it was a cold, terrified one. Stuart. 

“What?? What is it Stuart? Why have you got Callum’s phone? Spit it out, your starting to freak me out now!”

“It’s, it’s Callum, I need you to come to the flat now!” He stuttered trying to get his words out quickly.

Ben shot out of his chair so fast he made himself go dizzy. 

“What’s wrong with him? Is he hurt?”

Before Stuart even had the time to answer, Ben cut him off and was banging on the downstairs door of Callum’s flat. He’d crossed the square in record time. 

Stuart buzzed him up whilst still staring at Callum in the other room, panic all over his face. 

“What’s wrong with him then?? Where is he?”

“He’s in the bedroom!”

Ben walked into the bedroom slowly, to find Callum huddled in a ball in the corner. 

“God Stuart! I thought you meant he was dead or something. Don’t you ever do that to me again!”

Stuart frowned. He’d never seen Ben so worked up and afraid about Callum before. 

“Well, I don’t know what’s wrong with him, he won’t respond to me...I didn’t know who else to call...”

“Callum! CALLUM!” As Stuart shouted at him, Callum tried to make himself tighter and tried to shrink away. All Callum was seeing was explosions on the battlefield, and his commander screaming at him to get out there. They orders sounded oddly like Stuart. 

“no no nonono.” Callum just sat there muttering to himself. 

“Shut up! Stop it Stuart your scaring him! Your just making it worse!”

Ben crossed the room slowly, as to not startle Callum further. He knelt on the floor and touched Callum’s leg lightly. He jumped at the sudden contact. 

“Hey, Cal? It’s me, Ben. I need you to listen to me okay? Your fine, your gonna be okay? I just need you to know that alright?”

Callum didn’t even acknowledge Ben was there. He gently stroked his loose hair out of his eyes. 

“I’m right here, okay? I’m not going anywhere.”

At Ben’s touch, Callum flinched. 

“No, no, no not again.”

“Cal, I need you to talk to me, I can try and help you if let me in, yeah?”

He didn’t know if Callum was hearing any of this, but he had to try something. He was so terrified, he’d never seen Callum like this before. Ben had no idea what was going on, but was trying to remain calm for Callum’s sake. 

Ben shuffled round to the side of Callum and sat on the floor next to him. He pulled Callum’s head to his chest and began stroking the side of his head soothingly. 

“Shh, shh. Your gonna be just fine. It’s all gonna be okay.” He was trying to convince himself the most. 

Another firework went off closer to the flat, resulting in Callum jumping up from Ben. He was shaking uncontrollably. 

“I can’t! No!”

It was then that Ben finally realised what was wrong. The Fireworks. The Explosions. The Army. He was clearly having flashbacks because of the bangs from the fireworks. 

He cupped the sides of Callum’s face and looked straight into his eyes. Callum was looking at Ben but not seeing him. 

“Come on babe, I need you to be okay. Please.” He could hear the desperation in his own voice. Callum’s eyes cleared for a brief moment when he realised Ben was there before another firework went off and he went back into his trance. He was so close to getting through to him, before that firework. 

He had to do something. He couldn’t just sit here and watch Callum in so much pain and grief. 

“Cal, I’m gonna stay right here and help you okay? I don’t know if you can hear me but we’re going to get through this together, aren’t we?”

Ben stood up and shut the curtains to reduce and shut out the flashing of the fireworks. He grabbed the duvet off the bed and walked back to Callum and sat beside him again, covering them both up, trying to keep him warm. He pulled Callum’s head to his chest and putting his other hand on the side of his face over his other ear, so he couldn’t hear the noises as much coming from outside. He felt Callum curl up further into his side and saw him squeeze his eyes shut. 

“Shh, shh, I’ve got you. I’ll keep you safe.”

Stuart had witnessed all of this from the doorway. He never knew that Ben could be so soft. He really did care about his brother. It even made him slightly guilty for all the terrible things he’d done to Ben. He went and sat on the sofa in the front room, trying to think of something that could help Callum. He thought that maybe Ben was all he needed right now. 

Ben and Callum had sat there like that for hours, Callum’s rapid breathing starting to slow down, whilst Ben was continually stroking his face, trying to soothe and calm him down. 

“I’m sorry.” Callum whispered into the darkness. 

“Hey! What have you got to be sorry for?!”

“For scaring you.” He replied weakly. 

“Yeah, well, I’m glad I was here. I wouldn’t ever want you to go through that on your own. You know, if you ever feel like you need to talk to me about anything, I’m here okay? I’ll always be here for you, whenever you need me, whatever time of day.” 

“I know you are Ben. I just wasn’t prepared for tonight. On bonfire night, I knew it was gonna happen, so it didn’t startle me so much. I just wasn’t expecting it and it scared the heck out of me.”

“It’s alright, I’ve got you now. I think that we should get you to into your bed.” 

“Your staying aren’t you?” He pleaded. “I don’t want to be on my own just yet.” 

“Yeah, course I will.”

Ben stood up and arranged the duvet back on the bed. He heard Callum chuckling weakly. 

“Pink suits you, you know.”

Ben looked down and realised he’d still got his Mum’s slippers on. 

“Yeah, well I might lend them to you if want. You may have to ask my Mum though, they’re hers. I didn’t have time to put shoes on, as soon as Stuart called, I was over here in a heartbeat.”

“Where is Stuart anyway?”

“He was standing there, I think he’s gone to sleep on the sofa though, great help he was.”

“He called you though.”

“I suppose. Come here.”

Ben offered his hands to Callum, to pull him up. They hugged briefly before they both got into the bed together. Callum gripped Ben’s hand and curled into him. It didn’t take Callum long to fall asleep, breathing lightly and more slowly. 

He seemed so relaxed like this, like he didn’t have the weight of the world on his shoulders. Ben moved a piece of hair out of his face and stroked his face lightly, so not to disturb him. He wished he could stay here forever, sharing each other’s warm, admiring his face and keeping him safe. And he would, Ben would do anything to keep Callum safe. 

“I’ll keep you safe Cal... Always.”  
He whispered into the night.

  



End file.
